Tiva tales

Ferris Wheel

The lights strung above her head emanated a warm glow and despite the cool air tickling her shoulders Ziva was glad she'd decided to come to the funfair. Jenny had to ring to cancel on their girls night out at the last minute but it didn't deter her - it was unlike anything Ziva had experienced before; the hustle and bustle of people, the faint sounds of twinkling music in the distance mixing with the delicious smells whirling their way up her nose. The atmosphere was intoxicating.

So far she hadn't actually been on any rides, the queues were huge and although she would never admit it Ziva had a slight fear of things that spin at such fast paces so a lot of the rides were a no-go on her list. Instead she was content to just soak up her surroundings and smile at mothers pushing round children with candy-floss sticks gripped tightly in their hands. That was until she spotted the Ferris Wheel turning at a leisurely pace across the field, it looked beautiful against the night sky. Each carriage was painted a pastel shade of the rainbow and she knew the view from the top, over the city would be breathtaking - without hesitating she sped up towards it. Each step closer making smile a little bit more.

When she reached the ride the queue seemed to stretch for miles but it was moving along at a steady pace so she joined the back and waited patiently. It didn't take long before her feet started to ache with the constant shuffling forwards but she was disciplined enough to be able to ignore it and concentrate on the beauty of the Ferris Wheel gliding in graceful circles above her. Seeing the faces of people light up when they reached the top was her favourite part, it made her heart long for Tali to have experienced such pure freedom. 

Eventually, much to her relief, she was at the front of the queue and handing her money over to the vendor who was an older man with small wrinkles around his eyes, his gaze lingered over the carriages like he had been watching it go round and round for decades. She smiled softly at him and he unclipped the chain to let her step forward as the next spare carriage slowly came to a stop. It creaked lightly as she stepped into it and the metal seat was cold against her shoulders. For a second she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, letting herself relish the moment. Nothing could spoil this experience for her, she thought. 

Just as the carriage was about to move forwards someone leaned in and spoke to the vendor who nodded lazily and unclipped the chain again. Ziva watched as a man dressed in worn jeans and a polo top made his way over to her carriage and dropped down on the seat next to her. He clipped himself in and turned to her "Sorry, I really didn't want to wait for this thing to go round again. That queue was long." Slightly taken aback for a second Ziva didn't say anything. Clearly sensing the discomfort he'd caused the man started to apologize. "I can move if..." Ziva cut him off.

"No it is okay..." She smiled warmly at him and he seemed to relax a bit. He turned to look at the view in front of them as the carriage began to slowly move up. "I have never actually been on one of these before." She said, turning her head to get a better look at him in the dim light. His hair was messy and he had stubble on his chin which somehow managed to emphasise his smile. Gradually the silence became a comfortable one as they both became entranced with the stunning view emerging before them, the carriage rocked gently in the wind which somehow felt soothing and when they got right to the top Ziva couldn't stop herself from breaking into a huge smile and bringing her hands up to her heart. The entire Ferris Wheel paused for a moment. "The view is beautiful." She whispered under her breath.

Time seemed to slow as they both just sat thinking about life and admiring the stars. "Umm." Ziva's train of thought was interrupted. "I... I, think we're stuck..." The man exclaimed, leaning over the side of the carriage, attempting to see what was going on below. "They don't usually stop for this long..." He was starting to get frantic leaning over Ziva to get a look out her side of the carriage. Suddenly an announcement boomed out over the loud speakers. 

'We're afraid there seems to be some technical issues with the Ferris Wheel. Please do not panic a technician is on their way. Remain seated you are in no immediate danger.'

"Great." The man muttered. He glanced at Ziva and then at the floor of the carriage. "It looks like we'll be enjoying the view for longer than planned." 

"I guess so. I am Ziva by the way."

"What an unusual name. Is it Israeli? I'm Tony."

"Yes it is." She said, brushing back a strand of hair from her face and tilting her head to the side. Not many people are able to guess her name is Israeli, she liked Tony already. Several minutes passed before they spoke again. 

"Are you cold?" Tony asked, shrugging his jacket off his shoulders and offering it to her. She blushed slightly at this gesture from a complete stranger.

"It is okay." 

"You're shivering." He pointed out, tentatively draping the jacket around her. Under the circumstances it should have been awkward but neither of them noticed and Ziva was grateful for the fact she wasn't stuck all alone. They engaged in some light conversation to pass the time and eventually ended up talking about the inevitable. "So how come you're here alone?"He queried. 

"Oh my friend got stuck at work at the last minute." Ziva said.

"What about your boyfriend?" He pushed, noting the lack of a ring on her finger. 

"I do not have one." She stated matter of factly. "You are here alone too? No?"

"Ah yes. My dad used to bring me to this funfair as a kid and I just wanted to see if it was still the same. It is. I just planned on wandering round for a bit but I'm a sucker for a good ride on the Ferris Wheel."

"Or a not so good one." She laughed.  The fair below was starting to pack up, it was getting late. Ziva wasn't sure how late but it was getting colder and darker. People were starting to disperse and children were being coerced into cars waiting to take them home with promises of coming back again soon. The only sound left was the twinkling music of the Ferris Wheel and the hushed conversations of those stuck in the carriages surrounding them. 

The initial attraction Ziva had felt towards Tony was only growing stronger as they continued to talk, he was smart and funny. His charming smile made her feel like a teenager with a crush, butterflies filling her stomach. It was perfect despite everything. It looked like he might feel the same way as his gaze seemed to linger a little longer on her with every glance across, he was slowly rubbing his hands together and the way he absent mindedly licked his lips had Ziva wanting to lean over and kiss him softly. She pushed the thoughts out of her head, blaming it on the time and place. Convincing herself it was because she was tired. Looking down she noticed her hand was shaking. Tony must have noticed too because slowly he reached out and linked his hand with hers, she made no attempt to stop him so her laced their fingers together too. 

"Ziva I..." He was cut off when she leant over and planted a soft kiss on his lips, ignoring everything inside her telling her to stop. She leant back slowly and studied his face. He was quiet and she couldn't read his expression, it was out of character for her to be so forward and she was already regretting it. Until he leaned back in and kissed her with a tenderness she'd never been treated with before. 

Just as their lips collided for the second time the Ferris Wheel began to turn again and there were cheers from the carriages below.